CEE Story From The Mission Field
Radical Obedience
January 22, 2008
Today a father-son duo of Iranian Muslims by birth, Christian missionaries by choice, are pointing other Farsi speakers to Jesus through an IMB ministry in South Europe. This is their story of flight, acceptance and obedience.
Approximately six years ago Fath* and Sina* escaped Iran and sought spiritual fulfillment within the Orthodox Church. Their searching left them disappointed--to them, the worship seemed too similar to the Muslim faith they had left. Then a few weeks later they accepted an invitation to an International Baptist Church.
Upon entering the service Fath and Sina said they knew the faith practiced there was different than anything they had experienced before. The pastor did not welcome them with an extended hand, but with a warm embrace. He then invited them to his home for lunch, where he showed the men the JESUS film. Soon after both Fath and Sina began relationships with the Savior and started meeting regularly with the pastor for discipleship.
Six years years later, the father and son pair recognized God's call to leave the comfort, wealth and security of their new lives and follow Him as missionaries to their people group in a South European city.
Making the Connection
In August 2007 Tom*, an IMB missionary to South Europe, met Fath and Sina while visiting the International Baptist Church they attended. The service Tom witnessed was special--the Iranian Muslims received commissioning to follow God's call to share the Gospel with other Farsi-speaking Muslims in Tom's country of service. Tom was excited for the pair and hoped things would work out well for them. He hardly expected to ever see them again.
Six months later Tom was visiting an IMB ministry in his country when he recognized the pair he had met at their commissioning. Tom learned of how God had been using the two men during the past six months and was amazed.
Fath and Sina had arrived shortly after the ministry lost their Farsi translator. Sina easily filled the need to communicate between his heart language and Engish, while his father stepped into a Farsi preaching role. Both men have played key parts in leading many Farsi speakers to Christ, while some of these converts have since returned to their home country as Christian missionaries.
After witnessing Fath baptize another Farsi speaker, Tom's friend and fellow IMB missionary, Dan*, spoke of "the joy of seeing a formal Muslim consumed with the light of Christ so much that he can't contain it.
"It's amazing to see a national brother help us lead his people to the Lord," he said.
*Names changed for security purposes